Disclaimer: Maxus Philippines lent us its Maxus D60  Pro review unit with a full tank of gasoline for one full week.

Would you ever imagine that within half a century, mankind would go from landlines and payphones to smartphones and internet messaging and that car technology would go from life-saving seatbelts to collision avoidance?

Perspective-wise, it would probably have been difficult for the Volvo engineer who designed the seat belt to imagine a world where computers can avoid collisions altogether. Nevertheless, here we are.

But it does raise quite an interesting question: What features could you live without?

Stepping into the D60 Pro from Maxus, you get the feeling that the answer is quite a lot. Where other SUVs in this category give you driver aids like collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, and whatnot, the D60 Pro lacks these newfangled features.

Just right 

Performance-wise, the D60 Pro was as you’d expect from a mid-size SUV. 

Under the hood, the D60 Pro comes with the standard fare from Chinese manufacturers: a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. This particular one makes 169 PS and 250 Nm, and it sends all that through a 7-speed DCT, which drives the front wheels.

The car was very well-behaved when moving, and the rolling acceleration felt good and smooth, which speaks volumes about the engine itself. This powertrain also gave us an average city fuel consumption of 10 kilometers per liter. We couldn’t test the car on the highways, but we project that a Highway consumption of around 13 would be feasible.

On top of this, the car's drivetrain gave quite a good performance when the mood struck, throwing me back into my seat when I mashed the throttle. It may not have much in the way of power or torque, but it makes very good use of what it has.

Braking was also very good, feeling like it could stop the car on a dime even at expressway speeds. The only downside is the pedal feel or lack thereof. That’s to be expected, though, since this SUV is more commuter than adventurer. That brake force was tested on more than one occasion, thanks to the erratic driving of many a motorcycle taxi rider. It came in handy quite well when an errant Joyride motorcycle crossed my path while making a U-Turn.

Under the skin, it comes equipped with MacPherson struts upfront and a Multi-link affair out back – a tried and tested combination among the SUV crowd. For good reason, too, as the suspension felt solid and well-sorted around corners, with a surprisingly manageable body roll. The downside of that, however, was quite a harsh ride over bumps.

The D60 could iron out light bumps and dips with ease but started having trouble with more severe imperfections. Nothing spine-shattering, but nothing that wasn't expected from experience with others in this segment as well.

Steering-wise, the D60 was numb, with no feedback on turns, which could unsettle some drivers. It’s very useful in traffic however, where the light steering makes light work of tight maneuvers.

Interior quality was something of an amalgamation of the stereotypes surrounding Chinese cars - you could really tell where the designers stopped, and the accountants took over. On some surfaces, the car felt very well-appointed, like the soft-touch materials on the steering wheel, shifter, and armrests, but it also had a lot of hard-touch plastic in places that would otherwise be untouched.

One niggle our tests uncovered was the material of the seats. Where cars in this price and class segment use faux leather and cloth seats, the D60 Pro used some form of polyblend which didn’t really feel that nice. The seat foam was a saving grace of the interior, however, being some of the most comfortable seats we’ve seen in recent tests - firm and supportive, but not uncomfortable.

One advantage the Maxus D60 also had over its rivals was an air conditioning system that felt like stepping into a walk-in freezer. As efficient as it was at cooling down the cabin, it was also a dawdle to use thanks to the way the controls were laid out - a massive display with clear and obvious controls. The mechanical buttons made it easy to memorize the location of each control, making it easy to change temperature and fan speed without taking your eyes off the road.

Arguably one of the D60’s best qualities is its practicality. With all five seats up, the cargo space can swallow up any luggage or boxes you carry. It’s no L300 or Hiace Cargo, but any small business owner knows that any personal vehicle you buy has to deal with both family and business matters. Indeed, it took on any role it needed to assume while under the care of AutoFun's team with ease.

Part of that practicality is also the D60’s ergonomic layout. Of course, most vehicles have driver-centric cabins, but Maxus has designed a cockpit that allows people with short arms to reach everything with ease, even the glove compartment, which required almost no reaching on my part.

No more, no less

Where the D60 Pro falls is in toys and price. We mentioned that it’s missing the typical advanced driver aids you to find in other SUVs in this category, but you also miss out on power-adjustable seats, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, and while the D60 Elite gets a sunroof, a third-row, and LED Headlights, it also costs quite a penny. 

On top of this, the D60 has quite a hefty price tag, at ₱1,240,000 for the Pro variant as tested, but it shoots up to ₱1,338,000 for the slightly better-equipped Elite variant, which puts it squarely in the sights of the D60's main rivals, most of which come loaded with more kit.

A different kind of value

Despite its lack of convenient features and market-standard price, the D60 Pro presents an interesting option for those looking for a car that suits their needs. How?

You see, while the D60 Pro may not have all the fancy gadgets that make people reading the brochure go “Wow,” the lack of features makes driving it more attractive to those looking for a more distilled in-car experience.

The lack of advanced driver aids means that you have to be more mentally present when driving, and that’s an experience a lot of people still look for. And while it may lack full smartphone connectivity, it still has Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel controls, giving you the functionality you need without the things you never use. It can beautifully toe the line between indulging and making you think you worked for it.

In a way, the D60 is like the silent servant in your life - there when you need them, with exactly what you need, but never giving you more than you ask for. And despite the price tag being dangerously close to other, more well-equipped rivals, the D60 makes the driving experience a little more enjoyable than a drab and dreary chore.

It’s like buying an espresso machine from Breville or De Longhi against a Nespresso or a Keurig - it’s a little more work and takes a little more brain power. Still, the reward is not only the great coffee you made yourself but a feeling of accomplishment that you did more than just put some pre-packed beans in a glorified coffee kettle.

Have some thoughts on the Maxus D60 Pro? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.